Speaker Sahiba Gafarova said as she was opening the scheduled autumn-session plenum of the Milli Majlis on 24 December that the sitting coincided with a very remarkable day.

The President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev is known to have been born into the family of the national leader of Azerbaijan, the genius statesman Heydar Aliyev and the outstanding ophthalmic researcher and academician Zarifa Aliyeva on 24 December 1961. The upbringing in such a family proved a true school for the future political leader. A background such as that was supplemented and reinforced immensely by the secondary schooling and the education at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and the vast knowledge he acquired, all factoring into the making of the statesman.

Already holding such momentous posts as the First Vice President of the State Oil Company, the MP helming the Milli Majlis delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, a PACE Deputy Chairman, the President of the National Olympic Committee and the First Deputy Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party, President Aliyev invariably served the one and only cause of his Motherland’s revival and progress – he served her interests. It is this adamant stance that lies at the heart of the public confidence in Ilham Aliyev.

Consequently, Mr Ilham Aliyev was made Prime Minister of the Azerbaijan Republic on 4 August 2003 and on 15 October that year he won the presidential election enjoying the absolute majority and support of the nation. Declaring the adherence to the course of Heydar Aliyev from the very first day in this supreme position and pursuing it methodically then, the esteemed President Aliyev brought us resounding triumphs and, continuing also the ideological and political line of the Great Leader as Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party, he has turned the NAP into the strongest political organisation of the country and the whole region alike.

It can be said with pride that the history of Azerbaijan spanning the last half-a-century is connected to the names of the Great Leader and Mr President inseparably. Having said this and having also underlined the special importance of today, the Chair of the Milli Majlis quoted several remarkable achievements that our country has put under her belt over the eighteen years past.

Led by the esteemed President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan is now known the world over as a place of political stability, progress and tolerance as well as a generator of global initiatives, according to Sahiba Gafarova. The independent course of the Head of State that rests on the national interest and mutual trust has won our country the global recognition as a dependable partner whilst also having brought it a great weight internationally. Azerbaijan occupies its rightful place amongst the advanced countries; in 2011, it secured the support and confidence of 155 states and was elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

That achievement bespoke the growing international authority and status of our state. Azerbaijan’s unanimous election by the leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement – the second largest entity after the UN General Assembly – as the NAM Chair for 2019-2022, too, stemmed from the recognition of the regional and international importance of our country. The NAM Parliamentary Network was incepted upon the instance of the Head of State in Madrid on 28 November this year; that came as yet another proof of the growing international authority of Azerbaijan. Today, our country is one of the global inter-cultural dialogue arenas where the most advanced political platforms come into being.

As she spoke of international co-operation, the Chair of the Milli Majlis highlighted the tireless and fruitful endeavours of the leader of our country to solidify the Turkic unity. In this connection, she mentioned the decoration of President Aliyev with the Supreme Order of the Turkic World on 12 November 2021, adding that that was the outcome of Mr Ilham Aliyev’s fundamental merits in this field.

The rapid and dynamic development of Azerbaijan coupled with the national economic potential having attained the heretofore unforeseen summits adds up to one of the monumental achievements of the eighteen years past. The modern Azerbaijan is a country that undertakes economic projects on the regional as well as the international scales.

The well-respected President Ilham Aliyev’s leadership talent and titanic efforts have brought into being the co-operation platforms that, in their turn, caused the investment put in the region to increase. The implementation of such international-scale projects as the pipeline ones Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, the South Gas Corridor, the TANAP and the TAP as well as the railway one Baku-Tbilisi-Kars are the fruit of the economic and political initiatives and efforts of the Azerbaijani leader.

As regards the determined reforms that are continued today under the guidance of President Ilham Aliyev, they provide for the steady and energetic advancement of Azerbaijan. There has been growth in all the segments of the national economy whereas the economic and financial crises continue reigning around the world as it is struggling with the hardships posed by the pandemic.

The Chair of the Milli Majlis also broached the historic victory gained under the leadership of the triumphant Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev in the 44 days’ Patriotic War of 2020. That was one of the outstanding achievements of the past eighteen years. That prevalence was possible thanks to the high generalship and the political as well as diplomatic talents of Ilham Aliyev, according to Sahiba Gafarova. This is precisely why our nation views Mr President as the architect of our victory.

Apart from all else, to restore the wholeness of the national territory of Azerbaijan was the paternal valediction, the will which Ilham Aliyev himself said once the great leader Heydar Aliyev had given him.

Going further, Madame Speaker touched on the roadmaps drawn by the President and singled out the Grand Return to Garabagh. Armenia is known to have turned our now already freed lands into a moonscape during the years of occupation; the fast-paced restoration of those provinces began, and on a large scale, too, immediately the invaders had been driven out of there. Azerbaijan is relying on its own financial resources as it is restoring the destroyed towns and villages of the forefathers; moreover, whilst it is building new ones. Infrastructural projects are being carried into life. Those lands’ reintegration with the national economy will prove a substantial accompaniment to the overall advancement of Azerbaijan, Mrs Gafarova pointed out.

It was said next that the emergence of the Zangazur Corridor to contribute fundamentally to the evolution of the transport infrastructure of the region and the Turkic World as a whole alike would become another evident outcome of the political and diplomatic talents of Mr President put to use. That project specifically will add to the transport potential of our country and will afford not just our region but the whole of Europe new and broad possibilities.

The modernisation of the Armed Forces and the build-up of the personnel’s combat readiness and morale go on meticulously under the guidance of President Ilham Aliyev. The Army of Azerbaijan that brought the foe to his knees under the lead of the Commander-in-Chief is always ready to carry out any mission set before it.

Madame Speaker said then that the humanitarian policy of President Ilham Aliyev, too, could be viewed as a fine example for many countries to follow. That the Patriotic War shahid families and gazies are firmly in the focus as well as the state care embracing the low-income people and those who stand in need of social protection are all manifestations of the policy. At the same time, they demonstrate just how broad its coverage happens to be.

The input of the First Vice President, the esteemed Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva in the achievements made at this path is outstanding as well. The tremendously important projects initiated by her and implemented in her charge contributed across the board to the advance of the education, health care, culture and other sectors. Those undertakings also helped popularise our country in the international arena.

Madame Speaker added that when he was beginning to work as the Head of State, Mr President said, ‘I shall be president of every Azerbaijani.’ And, indeed, it can be safely said today that the esteemed President Ilham Aliyev is the president of each and every Azerbaijani – and that our nation are proud of him.

Concluding her speech, the Chair of the Milli Majlis mentioned a letter of congratulations addressed to President Aliyev on the occasion of his 60^th birthday. That letter is written on behalf of the MPs and contains the best wishes to the leader who is helming Azerbaijan so successfully.

Once again, Madame Speaker cordially congratulated Mr President on his jubilee; she wished him good health and further achievements in his selfless labour in the name of Azerbaijan’s progress as a civil, democratic and powerful state.

The speech by Sahiba Gafarova reaped a wave of applause.   

The MPs then spoke to speak their heartfelt congratulations to President Ilham Aliyev of the Azerbaijan Republic on occasion of his sixtieth birthday.

The parliamentary committee chairs Zahid Oruj, Musa Guliyev, Tahir Rzayev, Hijran Huseynova, Siyavush Novruzov and Ziyafet Asgarov, the commission chairman Eldar Ibrahimov and the MPs Elshad Mirbashiroglu, Musa Gasimli, Azer Badamov, Javid Osmanov, Sevil Mikayilova, Kamal Jafarov, Ulviya Hamzayeva, Vahid Ahmadov, Shahin Seyidzade, Sahib Aliyev, Malahat Ibrahimghizi, Naghif Hamzayev, Azay Guliyev, Bahrouz Maharramov, Elman Nasirov, Ali Masimli, Isa Habibbayli, Jala Aliyeva, Jeyhun Mammadov, Anar Isgandarov, Nizami Jafarov, Aydin Huseynov and Elnur Allahverdiyev said their congratulations. As they did so, they described the eighteen-year-long presidency of Mr Ilham Aliyev as a new political age. They mentioned the successes and achievements of Azerbaijan made possible by his political will, determination and self-sacrifice.

The MPs also said that the 21^st-century progress and territorial integrity of the modern and independent Azerbaijani state masterminded by the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev were the outcomes of the relentless work done by President Ilham Aliyev.

Having been led by Ilham Aliyev, our republic has turned into a regional leader and an influential world politics actor. The wise leader and a reformatory one, too, an undefeatable strategist, a resolute politician and a dab-handed diplomat, President Ilham Aliyev occupies the place in the history of our statehood that has its deservedly high appreciation. Saying all that, the MPs pointed at the innovative approach to solving international problems that Ilham Aliyev had demonstrated when he was chairing the UN Security Council and the Non-Aligned Movement. And, to sum it up, they described Mr Aliyev as one of the world leaders.

A triumphant president, a victorious commander-in-chief, Ilham Aliyev rallied the nation into the iron fist that dealt the Armenian occupation of our lands a crushing punch, freed those lands and restored the territorial integrity to our country. The victory of Azerbaijan in the Patriotic War was a serious aid to keeping up peace and security within the boundaries of our region as well as internationally.

The far-sighted and wise policy of Ilham Aliyev that aims to serve the national interest of Azerbaijan precisely, his work on boosting the economic and military prowess of our state had predetermined and preconditioned our victory in the 44 days’ Patriotic War, the MPs were saying. The Azerbaijani leader showed the world an example of the culture of warfare, of generalship and of the magnanimity of the winning side.

The steps taken by President Ilham Aliyev to take care of the shahid families and the heroic gazies deserve special recognition; so do his efforts to improve their social provisions.

Acting together with his most loyal comrade-in-arms, which is Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva, President Ilham Aliyev will conquer many a summit and will secure many an achievement yet.

The MPs wished President Ilham Aliyev and his family fine health and further successes in his work for the prosperity and progress of Azerbaijan.

Party chairmen talked as well. Those were Sabir Rustamkhanli (the Party of Civil Solidarity), Tahir Karimli (Vahdat), Fazail Agamali (Ana Veten), Fazil Mustafa (Great Order Party) and Gudrat Hasanguliyev (The Whole Azerbaijan’s Public Front Party). As they were congratulating the Head of State, they all described him as a leader adequate to the challenges of the modernity. The political party members hailed the Establishment-Opposition dialogue set in motion by President Aliyev as much as they did the solidarity of the political parties of the country for the sake of the national interest, the political culture ruling in the country and the exchange of opinions amongst political parties.

The party chairmen congratulated President Ilham Aliyev on his jubilee. They wished him presidency successes in the name of our country’s progress and they also wished him good health.

With that done, the sitting in plenary proceeded to its agenda.

Chair of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova announced the 24 items on the agenda: one draft resolution of the parliament, six Bills in the third reading, one that will only undergo one reading and the rest in the second reading. The first item was a draft resolution of the Milli Majlis about appointing judges of the courts of appeal of the Azerbaijan Republic based on the nominations made by the President.

Item 1 was covered by First Deputy Chair of the Milli Majlis/Chairman of the Law Policy and State-Building Committee Ali Huseynli. He told the House about this item having been submitted to the Milli Majlis at the suggestion of the Judicial and Legal Council. A certain amount of relevant work has been done since the enactment of the presidential decree ‘On Deepening the Reforms within the Judicial and Legal System’ dated 3 April 2019. Appointment to a number of courts of appeal of the new judges past their three-year probations is considered at the present stage. The Law Policy and State-Building Committee has looked into the matter, according to Mr Huseynli who proceeded to commend on the ideas expressed at the committee meeting.

The parliamentary committee chairman Siyavush Novruzov and the MPs Gudrat Hasanguliyev and Tahir Karimli put forth their considerations, remarks and suggestions regarding this matter. Then, First Vice Speaker Ali Huseynli clarified the matters they had indicated. Speaker Sahiba Gafarova introduced the attending candidate judges to the House and then the MPs voted favourably on the draft resolution about their appointment.

Chairman of the Economic Policy, Industries and Enterprising Committee Tahir Mirkishili tabled Item 2, which consisted in the third-reading amendments to the Budget System and the State Debt laws. The House had been supplied with ample information about both at the first and second readings. The two documents are intended to streamline the budgetary system administration, to introduce a new system, to reduce the state debt and to maintain macroeconomic stability. No suggestions were made regarding them following the second reading.

Those Bills were put on vote and passed in the third reading one after another.

Anar Mammadov of the Economic Policy, Industries and Enterprising Committee then tabled the substantively interconnected third-reading amendments to the Tax Code and the Customs Tariff Law.

Those Bills, too, were voted through the third reading one by one.

Next, Deputy Chair of the Labour and Social Protection Committee Malahat Ibrahimghizi tabled before the House the draft amendments to the Unemployment Insurance Law and the draft amendments to the Employment Law, both in the third reading. Mrs Ibrahimghizi told the colleagues that the draft laws had been discussed by the said Committee and that no additions or changes had been made in the course of the precedent readings.

The House voted the two Bills through the third reading separately.

Further, Malahat Ibrahimghizi gave an overview of the draft amendments to the Labour Pensions Law. She reminded the Parliament of the positive changes in the pension indicators that had taken place in the country over the past years, and pointed out that the process was continuing. The Bill in question, submitted to the Milli Majlis in the format of the legislative initiative of the president of the republic, is specifically drawn up in the context of the said process. The proposed amendments are to raise the minimum OAP by 20 per cent to AZN 240 with the effect from 1 January 2022.

The parliamentary committee chairman Siyavush Novruzov and MP Ali Masimli said what they thought about the amendments, whereafter the Bill was put on vote and passed in the one reading.

After that, the assembly proceeded to the Bills lined up in the second reading.

Speaker Sahiba Gafarova told the House that the agenda items 9^th to the 22^nd had arrived in one package and were interconnected substantively. They were in the main amendments to a string of laws and followed the amendments to the Lotteries Law and the Physical Education and Sports Law. New legislative concepts are to be introduced with regards to regulation of the relations arising in the sector of lotteries and sports betting games. Besides, it is intended to implement virtual space regulation and put in practice a new taxation withholding mechanism. Furthermore, new means of regulations are being offered in connexion with the amendments to the Telecommunication Law. There are also amendments to the Advertisement Law and the State Procurement Law – these are devised to set the new rules of the game for lottery and sports betting operators. No proposals had been motioned regarding the draft laws following their first reading.

First Vice Speaker, Chairman of the Law Policy and State-Building Committee Ali Huseynli indicated the Committee’s support for the amendments that follow the amendments to the Lotteries Law. Mr Huseynli said that there had been several proposals concerning the Criminal Code and the Code of Administrative Offences, adding that the legislative initiator was considering those proposals currently.

Deputy Chair of the Milli Majlis/Chairman of the Youth and Sports Committee Adil Aliyev let it be known that the committee helmed by him was behind the tabled items as well. Supportive statements were also made by Chairman of the Human Rights Committee Zahid Oruj and Chairman of the Agrarian Policy Committee Tahir Rzayev.

Deliberations followed. MP Gudrat Hasanguliyev talked about the amendments to the Criminal Code and the Code of Administrative Offences whereas MP Konul Nurullayeva commented on the amendments to the Physical Education and Sports Law. First Vice Speaker Ali Huseynli clarified the points highlighted by the MPs.

Then, one by one, the following amendments were put on vote and adopted in the second reading: to the Lotteries Law; to the Code of Administrative Offences and to the Civil, Criminal and Tax Codes; to the Physical Education and Sports Law, the Licences and Permits Law, the Horse Breeding and the Equestrian Sports Law, the Advertisement Law, the State Procurement Law, the Telecommunication Law, the Law on Apprehension of the Legalisation of Criminal Proceeds and the Finance of Terrorism and the Law on Information, Informatisation and Protection of Information; and to the Code of Civil Procedure.

Next up, Chair of the Family, Women’s and Children’s Affairs Committee Hijran Huseynova tabled the second-reading amendments to the Family Code, saying they would help streamline the state registration of vital acts whilst also enhancing the degree of citizens’ satisfaction with that facility and making its services prompter and more accessible.

The Bill was put on vote and passed in the second reading.

Chairman of the International and Inter-Parliamentary Relations Committee Samad Seyidov talked about the Bill in the second reading ‘On Amending the Consular Charter of the Azerbaijan Republic adopted pursuant to the Law of the Azerbaijan Republic No 782 dated 8 February 1994’. No new ideas regarding the amendments had been made known, according to Mr Seyidov who recommended that the colleagues should adopt the Bill in the second reading.

It should be mentioned that our consular offices register births and deaths of those Azerbaijani citizens who live abroad and of overseas nationals and apatrides abiding in the Azerbaijan Republic permanently with reliance on the medical certificates issued in concerned countries; such data are then fed into the State Population Register. Hence the need to amend the Consular Charter, Mr Seyidov summed up.

The Bill was voted for in the second reading.

Today’s plenary sitting of the Milli Majlis ended there. 

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis